The Emperor's Return

She was like a serene white swan, preening every feather in the pure lake water. Every movement was so beautiful, as if from a dream.

Perhaps it was precisely this natural, carefree demeanor that gave rise to such beauty.

Ning Chang'an, perched in the tree, felt his throat dry up. A wicked thought surged into his mind, but he didn't move, desperately suppressing the blasphemous desire within him. His body stiffened as if petrified.

All he wanted to see was this beautiful scene, not a woman flustered and filled with shame and anger.

He didn't even stop to wonder how such a peerless beauty could appear in such a deep mountain, leisurely bathing in such a secluded, clear pool.

The mountains were dangerous, with beasts and venomous insects everywhere. Wasn't she afraid, alone?

Ning Chang'an just watched, thinking nothing. He had never seen Yu Fu bathing before, nor had he touched a woman prior to this. Yet, at this moment, a thought suddenly bloomed in his heart: the desire to hold the woman in the pool in the palm of his hand. Men and women always possessed a strange attraction, especially in the budding age of spring.

Splash! A sound of water, and Lin Ying gracefully leaped ashore. It was already half an hour later. Her exquisite body was now fully revealed to Ning Chang'an's view. The tree and the small pool were so close, less than ten feet apart, allowing Ning Chang'an to see with remarkable clarity. Lin Ying's legs were long, straight, and shapely. Her figure was slender yet full, with the perfect balance of curves. Her skin was fair and lustrous like congealed fat, seemingly able to break with a touch.

A beauty emerging from her bath, a national treasure.

Lin Ying's eyes were gently closed, her entire body bathed in the bright sunlight. Steam rose all around her, and the mist, illuminated by the light, transformed into thin, colorful wisps of rosy clouds.

Ning Chang'an stared, dumbfounded, his heart stirring.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Lin Ying's dark hair was half dry, and the steam had dissipated. She slowly opened her eyes, tidied her long hair, casually tied it up, and with her long legs, actually walked toward the tree.

At that moment, Ning Chang'an was extremely nervous, his heart in his throat.

Discovered?! No, no, it's the clothes. Lin Ying's clothes were all hanging under the tree where Ning Chang'an was hiding. Ning Chang'an had tied himself to the tree, unable to see what was happening below.

Lin Ying walked to the base of the tree, unaware, and began to put on her undergarments.

However, as she reached for the first piece of clothing, her brow suddenly furrowed. It was a plain white silk undergarment, without a single blemish. Yet, Lin Ying saw a small, plum blossom-like crimson stain on it. It was a drop of blood. Her face turned pale, and a bad feeling welled up in her heart.

She hadn't been injured. How could there be blood on her undergarment?

As if guided by a spirit, Lin Ying subconsciously looked up. Amidst the dense branches, she suddenly spotted a vague human figure.

"Ah..."

Lin Ying, naked, let out an extremely sharp and prolonged scream.

Ning Chang'an's ears buzzed. The scream pierced his eardrums. His vision went black, and he fainted. It was this unparalleled scream that left an incredibly deep impression on Ning Chang'an, almost etched into his mind.

Ning Chang'an suddenly regained consciousness again to find himself no longer in the tree, but in the small pool where Lin Ying had been bathing. He had no strength, struggling weakly in the pool, gulping down stream water. His ravenous stomach was instantly filled with the cool water.

Lin Ying stood quietly by the bank, looking coldly at Ning Chang'an. Just as Ning Chang'an was about to drown in the pool, she suddenly made a move and pulled him out of the water.

Half of the pool water was already dyed red with Ning Chang'an's blood. Ning Chang'an lay miserably on the grass, spitting out water in large gulps. The water he spat out was mixed with crimson blood.

Lin Ying always seemed very patient. Only when Ning Chang'an had vomited all the blood and water from his stomach, and stopped coughing, did she coldly question, "Speak, what were you doing here?"

Ning Chang'an coughed violently and truthfully replied, "Fleeing for my life, escaping pursuit!"

Lin Ying asked again, "How did you end up in the tree?"

Ning Chang'an gave a bitter smile, "I had nowhere else to flee, so I could only hide in the tree, tying myself tightly so I wouldn't fall. In the end, the pain was unbearable, and I fainted. You, why did you throw me into the water?" He seized the opportunity to ask back, absolutely determined not to let Lin Ying know he had actually been awake the whole time.

Lin Ying's eyes flickered as she looked down at Ning Chang'an and said coldly, "If I hadn't thrown you into the water, would you have woken up?"

Ning Chang'an mumbled, "I'm tough, I would have woken up eventually!"

Lin Ying snorted, "Ungrateful!" She raised her foot and delivered a fierce kick to Ning Chang'an's waist. With just that kick, Ning Chang'an knew Lin Ying knew martial arts, and not weakly. A cold sweat broke out on Ning Chang'an's forehead. He felt his internal organs shake violently, let out a miserable cry, and spat out a mouthful of blood. Lin Ying watched with a cold face, completely unmoved. Ning Chang'an knew that this woman, though seemingly calm and composed, was actually suspicious of him and didn't believe his words. Ning Chang'an inwardly gave a wry smile, becoming even more determined to keep his mouth shut. If he said anything, he feared it would lead to the woman's humiliation and possibly her killing him on the spot.

Is this a romantic encounter?!

Ning Chang'an could only offer a bitter smile.

After spitting out blood, Ning Chang'an's face, which had been pale and bloodless, took on a purplish hue, looking extremely sickly.

Seeing this, Lin Ying's expression changed slightly, and she asked, "You're injured internally?"

Ning Chang'an nodded weakly.

Lin Ying half-crouched down and probed a few spots on Ning Chang'an's chest and waist. She frowned, surprised, "Your internal organs have all shifted, and your meridians are shattered in multiple places. You're still alive, your life is indeed tough!"

Ning Chang'an inwardly sighed, attributing this to Yang Qingling's "effective teaching." He had been beaten since childhood, living a life akin to purgatory. If there were any benefits, perhaps not fearing injury or beatings was the greatest one.

Lin Ying stood up and sized Ning Chang'an up for a few moments, saying, "Meeting me is your good fortune!" Lin Ying turned and walked back to the base of the tree. Only then did Ning Chang'an see that there was a large bamboo basket under the tree, filled with all sorts of freshly picked herbal and woody medicinal materials. He finally understood why Lin Ying would be alone in such a desolate mountain forest; she was here to gather herbs.

Lin Ying took out dozens of medicinal ingredients from the basket, finely ground them in a mortar according to a specific ratio, and then handed them to Ning Chang'an, saying, "Eat this."

Ning Chang'an wrinkled his nose, reluctant, "Raw herbs can be eaten?" He was also someone who frequently dealt with medicinal drugs. Having been ill for a long time, he had some understanding of pharmacology. Most medicinal materials are not suitable for raw consumption; they must undergo certain processing before being used as medicine. Some herbs, if eaten raw, are not only ineffective but also poisonous.

Lin Ying said, "Treat a dying horse as if it's alive, might as well try."

Ning Chang'an mumbled, "I'm not dead yet, why am I a dying horse?!" The medicine also had a pungent and unpleasant smell. Ning Chang'an actually didn't want to eat it. He was afraid that Lin Ying, being overly suspicious, might harm him with this inexplicable medicine, especially since he had seen her entire body.

Lin Ying held the medicine like this, gazing at Ning Chang'an, her expression serene and cool, exceptionally patient. She seemed to know that Ning Chang'an would eventually eat the medicine.

As expected, Ning Chang'an ate every last bit of the medicine. The medicine tasted terrible, bitter, pungent, with a strong, acrid smell, almost impossible to swallow. As soon as Ning Chang'an ate it, he felt completely unable to move, his body stiff as a board.

His heart skipped a beat. He inwardly sighed, It's over. His consciousness began to blur, then everything went black, and he lost consciousness.

He thought he was dead.

But he woke up again. When Ning Chang'an woke up, he was still by the small pool. However, there was a bonfire on the grass, and food was being roasted over the fire – the smell of wild chicken. Ning Chang'an was very hungry. The moment he smelled the roasted chicken, he couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva. Later, he would learn that he had been unconscious for three days, meaning he had gone three days without food or drink, truly starving to the point where his stomach was empty.

Ning Chang'an found he could move, so he slowly sat up, gazing longingly at Lin Ying roasting the wild chicken. At this moment, this wild chicken, dripping with oil, was far more tempting than Lin Ying's exquisite body.

Lin Ying worked quietly, her expression focused.

The pheasant was finally roasted. Lin Ying looked up at Ning Chang'an and said, "Let's eat together!"

Ning Chang'an was deeply moved, thinking he could finally feast and enjoy the delicious food. However, he discovered that Lin Ying casually tossed a bag of wild berries in front of him, not intending to share the fragrant roasted pheasant with him. Ning Chang'an immediately felt like he'd been doused with a bucket of cold water. The feeling was indescribable to outsiders. He froze for a moment, only snapping back to reality when the bag of wild berries knocked him to the ground.

Lin Ying, while devouring her food, said, "Given your injuries, oily food isn't suitable for you. Eating it would only do more harm!"

Ning Chang'an felt a slight sense of relief and subconsciously said, "You saved me!" In truth, his heart was filled with guilt.

Lin Ying replied, "Is saving someone wrong?"

Ning Chang'an was speechless. After a long silence, he asked, "Ning Family's Chang'an, what about you?"

Lin Ying remained silent and did not answer. They didn't speak another word the entire night. In the middle of the night, Ning Chang'an took his medicine and, as expected, passed out once more. When he woke up, Lin Ying was gone. Only a pile of extinguished firewood remained.

From then on, he never formally met Lin Ying again. Even later, when Ning Chang'an accidentally learned Lin Ying's name, he could no longer find any trace of her. Until tonight, this was their first reunion.

Memories flashed through Ning Chang'an's mind one by one. Even now, Ning Chang'an knew that Lin Ying had known he was lying from the very beginning. Yet, she still saved him, repaying his misdeed with kindness. Her hatred and anger were only natural human emotions.

When she asked if saving someone was wrong, Ning Chang'an had already thought of her as a good person. In this world, there weren't many people who could be simply categorized as good or bad.

Ning Chang'an was not among them.

Lin Ying's pure beauty and cool demeanor seemed innate, like her extraordinary patience, ingrained in her very bones. It was an inseparable part of her, her very essence. She was stingy with her smiles; that fleeting, vaguely meaningful faint smile that crossed her face was like a tiny ripple on a clear spring, disappearing as soon as it appeared.